re; the _Dido_, therefore, being the only ship then at liberty, had
been despatched forthwith, and I was now to follow her, so that should
the Spaniards slip through the hands of one, the other might have a
chance to pick her up.

By the afternoon of the third day the _Dolphin_ was once more ready for
sea; and on reporting this to the admiral I at once received my orders
and was directed to be off at once. As I had quite expected this I had
run up during the morning to see and say good-bye to my father; I had
nothing, therefore, to detain me; and by sunset we were again at sea,
clear of the shoals, and standing away to the southward with every
stitch of canvas spread that the schooner could stagger under.

My instructions were to first of all proceed to the coast near
Cartagena, endeavour, by any means which might happen to present
themselves, to obtain information of the date of sailing of the
treasure-ship; and, in the event of my being successful, to then cruise
to the eastward on the lookout for the _Dido_, on falling in with which
I was to communicate to Captain Venn such intelligence as I might have
picked up, and thereafter act under his instructions. If I failed to
meet with the _Dido_ I was to do my best to capture the Spaniard
unaided, or, if he appeared too heavy for me to tackle single-handed, to
follow him and keep him in sight until I could obtain assistance.

As the information to hand respecting this treasure-ship was very
meagre, the admiral had urged me to use all expedition, in the first
place, to reach the coast, and secure, if possible, some reliable
intelligence; we, therefore, carried on all that night and the whole of
the next day, being favoured with such a fine breeze, and making such
good progress that twenty-four hours after sailing we had accomplished
nearly half our distance.

Towards the close of the afternoon watch, however, the wind showed signs
of failing us, which it did so rapidly that by two bells in the first
dog-watch our canvas was thrashing itself threadbare against the masts,
and the schooner was rolling gunwale under as she headed all round the
compass. The atmosphere was hot and close almost to the point of
suffocation; the sky, though perfectly cloudless, was thick and hazy;
and the sun, as he drooped toward the horizon, glowed like a red-hot
ball, whilst the vapour through which he was seen magnified him to at
least three times his ordinary dimensions.

"What do you